Functional Two- and Three-Dimensional Architectures of Immobilized Metal Nanoparticles

Recent methodological advances have led to unprecedented precision in the immobilization of metal nanoparticles. These methodologies come from a broad range of disciplines and organize nanoparticle building blocks into a diverse selection of distinct architectures—from small arrays to ordered superstructures. Because properties can be dictated by assembly, architectures can present enhanced properties of the constituent nanoparticles or generate emergent properties of the collective architecture that are unavailable to their constituent nanoparticles. Functional architectures use these properties to further tailor and optimize performance in myriad applications. This review discusses the methodological advances that enable the immobilization of metal nanoparticles in distinct two- and three-dimensional architectures. Discussion will include their distinctions, properties associated with the assemblies and their applications, and the key challenges and future directions in this growing field.